Kevin Bahl
Kevin Bahl | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 27, 2000 New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenceman |
| Known for | Playing for the Calgary Flames in the NHL |
Kevin Bahl (born June 27, 2000) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected 55th overall in the second round of the 2018 NHL entry draft by the Arizona Coyotes.
Amateur
Originating from Mississauga, Bahl competed with the Toronto Marlboros within the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), amassing 38 points across 63 contests in the 2015–16 season. Subsequently, he was chosen 31st overall by the Ottawa 67's during the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft. Making his OHL debut at age 16 in the 2016–17 campaign, Bahl quickly gained recognition for his physical presence and dependable defensive skills. He concluded his rookie season with one goal and three assists over 57 games and received his team's Rookie of the Year distinction. Concurrently, he attended Blyth Academy, which supported his hockey schedule.
In 2017, Bahl earned a gold medal representing Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. Entering the 2017–18 season under new leadership from head coach André Tourigny, he was identified as a player poised for significant development and started strong, securing a spot on Team OHL for the CIBC Canada Russia Summit Series. Off the ice, he was honored as OHL East Division Academic Player of the Month in October. Midway through the season, Bahl was ranked #30 among eligible draft prospects and participated in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, where he contributed both a goal and an assist. Although he served a 10-game suspension due to an on-ice infraction, he finished with personal bests in assists and total points, boosting his NHL Draft ranking to #29. At the NHL Combine, he conducted interviews with 23 teams prior to being selected by Arizona.
Following his draft selection, Bahl attended both Coyotes Development and Rookie Camps before returning to Ottawa for the 2018–19 OHL season. He began that year with six points in 11 games and again took part in the Canada Russia Summit Series. Playing alongside Noel Hoefenmayer, Bahl enhanced his offensive output, crediting guidance from Ottawa's coaching staff and Arizona’s development personnel. He ended third among league defensemen in scoring with six goals and 28 assists over 68 games while helping set a franchise record of 106 regular-season points. Before playoffs commenced, he inked a three-year entry-level contract with Arizona. During postseason action, Bahl contributed one goal and ten assists across 15 games as Ottawa progressed through initial rounds.
In his concluding junior season (2019–20), Bahl was on track to achieve career-high statistics with six goals and 25 assists in 54 matches before play was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On December 16, 2019, he was involved in a major trade sending him from Arizona to the New Jersey Devils as part of a package including prospects and draft picks exchanged for Taylor Hall and Blake Speers.
New Jersey Devils
After completing his major junior tenure, Bahl joined New Jersey’s abbreviated training camp ahead of the 2020–21 season but started with their AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Devils. Over 26 games, he tallied five points before being called up to the NHL on April 29. That same night, he made his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers, logging 15:01 minutes of ice time with a plus-1 rating along with three hits and one blocked shot. In his second NHL appearance on May 1 against Philadelphia, Bahl recorded his first NHL point by assisting a goal. He wrapped up the season with two assists and 18 hits across seven NHL games while averaging nearly 17 minutes per contest. In AHL play, he notched one goal and four assists over 27 outings.
Bahl returned to New Jersey’s Development Camp but was assigned to their newly affiliated AHL team, the Utica Comets, for the 2021–22 campaign following an underwhelming training camp performance. He registered two assists in his first 19 games before being recalled to New Jersey on December 13. After a brief stint in the NHL, he returned to Utica in early January where he embraced a shutdown defensive role. Over an additional 17 games, Bahl contributed eight assists along with two goals as the Comets led the Eastern Conference boasting a 28–9–5–0 record. By April 1, he ranked third among team defensemen with 16 points through 51 games and held third place league-wide among defensemen with a +17 plus-minus rating.
Calgary Flames
On June 19, 2024, Bahl was sent to the Calgary Flames along with a first-round selection in the 2025 draft, in return for goaltender Jacob Markström.
Personal life
Born on June 27, 2000, in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, Bahl is the son of Jonathan. He possesses a mixed heritage of Indian and European descent. His sister, Kristina, competed in college ice hockey at St. Lawrence University and has played for Team Canada on the international stage. Although his birthplace is British Columbia, the family relocated to Mississauga before Kristina's birth. During his upbringing in Mississauga, Bahl initially favored soccer but transitioned to ice hockey following an injury sustained during a soccer match. Subsequently, he honed his skills at the Canadian Ice Academy.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2015–16 | Toronto Marlboros | GTHL | 56 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 57 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 53 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 58 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 76 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | Ottawa 67's | OHL | 68 | 6 | 28 | 34 | 87 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 8 | ||
| Ottawa 67's | OHL | 54 | 6 | 25 | 31 | 83 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2020–21 | Binghamton Devils | AHL | 27 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | — | |||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||||||||
| Utica Comets | AHL | 54 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 52 | ||||||||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 10 | ||||||||
| Utica Comets | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL | 42 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 35 | ||||||||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 82 | ||||||||
| Calgary Flames | NHL | 73 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 35 | ||||||||
| NHL totals | 221 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 162 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 31 | ||||
International
2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge || Canada Red || U17 ||6th ||5 ||0 ||1 ||1 ||6 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament || Canada || IH18 || Template:Gold1 ||5 ||1 ||1 ||2 ||6 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships || Canada || U18 ||5th ||5 ||1 ||2 ||3 ||2 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships || Canada || WJC || Template:Gold1 ||7 ||0 ||1 ||1 ||6| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior totals !22 !2 !5 !7 !20 | |||||||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| OHL | |
| Named to Second All-Star Team | 2020 |